Soil and Biotechnology Division

The division is responsible for the protection of our soils, for the remediation of contaminated sites and for biotechnology and genetic engineering

Contact

Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
Soil and Biotechnology Division

Postal address:
CH-3003 Bern

Location of our offices:
Monbijoustrasse 40, 3003 Bern

Tel.: [phone]

E-mail Soil

E-mail Biotechnology

Tasks and topics

The division:

• is committed to the implementation of the Swiss Soil Strategy; 
• deals with the protection of the soil against chemical, physical and biological damage such as erosion and compacting;
• surveys the status of the soil through the "National Soil Monitoring Network" (NABO) and prepares the nationwide soil mapping;
• assists the cantons in the implementation of the Soil Pollution Ordinance;
• is responsible for elaborating and implementing the provisions on the handling of pathogenic, alien and genetically modified organisms in the environment (Release Ordinance) and in contained systems (Containment Ordinance);
• is responsible for implementing the strategy on invasive alien species;
• coordinates international activities in the area of biosafety with regard to the environment, in particular the Convention on Biological Diversity; 
• it is also responsible for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity in the area of genetic resources (Nagoya Protocol) and biosafety (Cartagena Protocol).

The division is responsible for the topics:

Topic Soil

Topic Biotechnology

Management

Bettina Hitzfeld
Position: head of division

Basil Gerber
Position: deputy head of division, head of section Biosafety and Control

Gudrun Schwilch
Position: head of section Soil

Lüthi Christoph
Position: head of section Genetic Engineering and Invasive Alien Species

Last modification 01.07.2024